My only fault is my existance
by SophieForeverCharmed
Summary: Johanna is just a thirteen year old girl living in America. What happens when she figures out a dark secret about her past and goes to Alagaësia?
1. Family Meetings

**The owner of Inheritance is Christopher Paolini, not me. I do not own any Iheritance characters. I do, however own, Johanna and her (?) family.**

**This is my very first fanfiction so don't be hard. I'll do my best.**

Chapter one: Family meetings

Johanna turned in her sleep. She was dreaming about Alagaësia once again. Then she heard a BAM and she felt nothing but pain. She realized she had fallen from her bed. Her mother came running into her room. The girl raised in eyebrow as she saw her mother's pijamas. _My bikini is less revealing than that, _she thought.

" _Jannet!_ Oh my god! Are you ok sweetheart?" her mom cried in her usual melodramatic tone. Although her pain, Johanna couldn't help it but laugh. " I'm fine mom really" she said, forcing her self to stop laughing. Her mom still seemed worried. " Oh no, no, you must stay home for today. In second thought, we should take you to the hospital. Oh, Jannet sweetheart, what will I do if something happens to you? I can't loose you!" Her mother started crying. Johanna gave her an odd look. Then she looked at the watch. _Not a good time to discuss it, _she she decided. Taking her sweetest voice and hugging her mom she whispered: " Mom, I'm just fine. How about you go take some sleep- and I mean it _sleep, _for real- and I will go make breakfast for all of us? When you and daddy wake up, it will be waiting for you" Her mother, still with tears in her eyes, nodded. _I wonder which one is the adult here, _Johanna thought bitterly. She shocked her head, and immediately regreted it, for it hurt. She walked her way to the kitchen and started preparing the food. If she was good at something, that was cooking. She tried to ignore her headache.

At the breakfast the atmosphere was heavy. Johanna could bet that her parents were hiding her something, something of big importance. She waited, though, until her younger sister was of to school. Adding all the courage she could said in a low voice: " Mom, dad, we need to talk" She said that last _we need to talk_ with the same way that the teachers were telling that to parents when their children were disorderly. What the girl wanted to say was _I know you have a secret! Tell it to me or I'll found out myself. _Her parents perfectly understood that, but they were not stupid enough to admit. " About what honey?" her dad asked in a very thick I'm -so -tired- what- you- want- voice.

" About _that_!" Johanna broke. " For my whole life, you wouldn't even _stare _at me, and the last month the only thing you do is going around and say: Do you need help _honey? _Do you know how much I love you _sweetheart? _You don't think we are horrible parents, right _our precius daughter?_"She stopped, trying to calm her self down. " What's going on?" she asked in a lower voice. " No more lies, no games, just the truth. I'm a big girl, I can take it" Her parents hesitated. " It is just that, it's your 14th birthday in a few days. And, that made us see that we haven't been good parents. We want to make it up to you! What if something happened?" her mom explained, relucantly at the beginning, paniced at the end. Johanna wasn't a fool. She knew that there had to be a more important reason than her birthday to shock her parents like that. " And what could happen to me? From when my birthday became so important?" she questioned, perfectly calm. The girl understood she had hit home. It was something, something about her 14th birthday, that paniced her parents so much. Her father sighed. He turned to face his wife. " She has the right to know" he told with a broken voice. " It's better if we tell her now, so she wont be so unprepared" Her mother, unable to stop the tears from running in her eyes nodded. "Ok, Jannet, you are about to hear a weird story. I know it might be hard to accept, but you must believe us, every word we are about to say is truth. A long time ago, it's almost fourteen years now, me and your mother went on a trip to the outdoors. Our plan was to camp in a random place and stay around a week. Everything was working perfectly. The third day of our trip, well the third night to be totally honest, we heard some noices. We walked out of the tend and we saw a woman lying on the grass and crying. Your mom must forgive me for telling that, but she was the most beautiful woman I had never seen. The only explanation I could give is that she wasn't human. And I was so right. When she saw us, she was scared at the beginning, but then we finaly convinced her that we weren't enemies of her. When we got close enough to her, we saw that she was holding a baby, a newborn one. She gazed at us and a light shined in her eyes. She told us she was Islanzadi, queen of the Elves of Alagaësia.At first we though she was crazy, but then she talked to a strange languange, and then, against our will, we believed her. She show us the baby in her arms. She told us she had been raped and she stayed pregnant. She couldn't take care of the baby, for it's father would search for it. No, it had to grow up somewhere away from him. She begged us to take the baby, and she sweared, again and again that, when it turned fourteen, she would come and take it back, and she begged us to take care of it until then. We accepted. And we named the baby... Johanna" Her father murmured, hardly louder than a whisper. That confession had left Johanna speechless. Her parents... Islanzadi... Alagaësia. Then, she realised a single detail.

" But when the baby turned fourteen, she would come and take it back" she whispered, tears in her eyes. She raised her gaze to face her parents, the people that for fourteen years she thought as parents.

" But she wont be able to" a disgusting, slimy voice pointed out. Johanna's heart beat faster, scared to death. She knew that voice, for it was the voice that haunted her darkest nighmares. Slowly and unwillingly, she turned to face the one who talked. Her first impresion of hers was that he was large. Not fat, just... _large. _The second thing she noticed, was that behind him was standing another man- if he was old enough even to be called a man. And she knew him. It was the person she had always been in love with, since she learned about the Alagaësian universe. It was someone she had never believed of seeing. It was _Murtagh. _In terror, she realised that if he was really Murtagh, then the other one had to be Galbatorix. Fear overcame her. But Galbatorix couldn't be... no, no, she couldn't even think of it.

Galbatorix laughed. " Confused Johanna? Well, I'm even more. Anyways, you look a lot like your mother, if I remember correctly. My memory might betray me, for I have a long time to see her, fourteen years, actually. What foolish of her to travel alone in the country! Ohh, and she had payed the price for that, I assure you! But, until today, even I didn't know how much" he laughed once again, cruel and abrasive. " Islanzadi's daughter... I like it so much. You, my little one, will be the one who will crash the hopes of all the elves! Now come on, Johanna? Isn't that your name? Let's go home" A wave of hate ran through her.

" I'm not going anywhere with you!" she yelled and spat at him. Her reaction didn't seem to trouble him at all. Slowly, he raised his right hand, and her mother-or foster mother, whatever- flew in the air. " Oh, you will. At least you want to see your parents to be tortured, and killed" To prove his words, he murmured some words in the Ancient Languange, and Johanna's mom started screaming. " STOP!" Johanna cried. " I will come with you, if you promise me not o hurt any of them" she lowered her head. She was defeated. Galbatorix had no reason to show mercy to her parents, he could easily force her in to coming and she knew it. The teenage girl prayed warmly, begging for her parents life.

" Very well. I you come willingly then I promise not to hurt them, _Vel einradhin iet ai Shur'tugal: Upon my word as a Rider_" Johanna nodded, feeling greatful somehow. " So be it" she whispered. Galbatorix murmured a few phrases in the Ancient Languange and something like a portal opened in the air. " Come on my dearest one, let's go home" She, Galbatorix and Murtagh walked their way to the portal. _Home? I have no home. _Was her last thought before she left her world forever.

**Ok, I know it's not perfect, but I'm trying! Pls have mercy to my soul and review! And if you think it's horrible don't be afraid to say it. I'm a big girl I can take it, and I'll try to use every advise you give me. Oh, let me to make one thing clear, if some of you did not understand well. Galbatorix was the one who... _you know _with Islanzadi. Johanna is the child of Galbatorix and Islanzadi. Hehe, I know, I'm crazy! **


	2. Uru'baen

**Once again, I do not own Inheritance. I only own Johanna and her foster family( now you know why I put the (?) before _family _in the first chapter).**

**I would also like to apologize for some horrible grammatical mistakes. English is not my mother languange but I'm doin' my best. **

**Here we go, I hope you'll like it!**

Chapter two: Uru'baen

Johanna looked around with a motionless look. Uru'baen was horrible. It was all so dark, and nobody was talking. As she, Galbatorix and Murtagh were walking in the hallways, many soldiers greeted them with a nod. She felt incredibly nervous. Was she the only one who wanted to scream, just to break the silence? _Oh, great, that thing is going to turn me into an Emo! _She half smiled for a second, but she really wasn't in a mood for jokes. Galbatorix was her father. Unbelievable. Awfull. Disgusting. The man was _evil. _Her existance was the result of a raping! She couldn't stand it. The girl felt like throwing out. She wanted to cry. But no, she couldn't. She wouldn't give Galbatorix -her father- the pleasure to know how much all this costed to her. She had to pretend strong, once again. She smiled cheerless. At least she was good at that. She had spent her whole life pretending to be strong anyways. She could do it again. She had been lying for so much time, it wouldn't make a difference now, would it? Galbatorix was her father. She kept repeating that to her self, but she still couldn't accept it. She realised Murtagh was staring at her. She gave him an annoyed look. He immediately looked away. _Any other time, I would celebrate that but now... Oh, ok I'm being way too Emo right now! _As they walked, Galbatorix kept talking, but she wouldn't pay any attention. About her training he was telling her, that he would make Murtagh teach her everything about magic and sworfighting. One detail though, caught her attention. " As you might know" Galbatorix was saying, " here at Uru'baen is the last dragon egg. What you might not know is that, a few days ago, Murtagh and Thorn discovered another one. You will go and touch both of the eggs, and hopefully one of the two will choose you as it's Rider" She was quite surprised. Another egg? How? " You don't know that for sure" she dared speak back. " My mother wasn't a Rider, and though you were, _your _example proved that even dragon's judgement can be mistaken" She knew she would regret that. But the punishment came faster than she thought, and she wasn't able to prepare her self. The pain ran through every inch of her body. She bote her tongue and resisted screaming, or asking for mercy. She felt her self falling down. " You shall never talk to me that way again! You understand that? I wont have a misarble teenage girl critisizing me! Try that again, and you shall see" Without another word, he leaded her to her chambers. " I expect you to join me and Murtagh for breakfast tommorow at 8 am. A servant shall wake you up an hour before. He also should lead you to the dining room. You wont try to escape. I will know your every move" Galbatorix left, leaving her and Murtagh alone. She opened the door. The room was sad. There was little colours and only the most nesecarry furniture. She hesitated. " Goodnight Murtagh" she said before walking in the room. He nodded.

" Goodnight Johanna" Then he left. She was alone once again. She was the daughter of the most hated man in Alagaësia. And, her mother had to hate her too, for she was the proof of his madness. She layed in her bed desparate. _If I pretend to be like him, then maybe he'll trust me. Maybe he wont make me swear in the Ancient Languange. And then, when I get the chance, I will go to the Varden and tell them everything I know to help. If I reveal them __Galbatorix's plans wont they trust me? Enough for not killing me, at least? This is so weird. __In the other hand, I'm the daughter of the Elven Queen! _She froze realising one thing she had never think of before. _That means Arya is my half sister! Will she hate me too? Or will she understand?_ She allowed a tear to drop from her eye. _Please my sister, forgive me and don't hate me. Forgive me for existing. _With that thoughts on her mind, Johanna fell asleep.

She was woken up by a knock in her door. _Is it already school time? _She wondered. Then she froze, as she started to remember everything. The pain in her heart returned, stronger than yesterday. " Come in" she said in a very self-pitying voice, one that in usual conditions she would have never allow to herself. A servant girl walked in. " My lady, the breakfast is going to be served in one hour. I also brought you some clear clothes" Johanna nodded, smiling at the girl. Somehow that weird creature made her feel way better. At least she wasn't alone anymore. " You don't need to call me 'my lady' all the time. I have a name, and I like to hear it" she said to the girl.

" But my lady..."

" Johanna" she cutt the girl. " And what's your name, by the way?"

" Lady Johanna, I'm Balja. But I'm begging you my lady, if he learns... he says that you must not hang out with the servants or..."

" Very well. Infrond of Galbatorix, you can call me lady. But when I'm alone, you shall call me Johanna. 'My lady' makes me seem old"

" Johanna" Balja nodded. " You... you must get ready for breakfast, king Galbatorix will be really angry if you're late" Balja panicked once again. With a sigh, Johanna got dressed. She also allowed Balja to brush her hair. She was ready just in time. " Will you lead me to the dining room? I have no knowledge of the place"

" No, lady Johanna, there's a guard outside, he will lead you to the dining room" Balja accompanied her to the door, then the guard took her place and led Johanna to the dining room. _Lady Johanna, _she couldn't help it but think. _Sure enough things are not as they used to be. _They walked, without talking at all. Uru'baen at the morning was just as dark as at the night. _How is that that I left the Earth at the morning, and got to Alagaësia at night? _She wondered. She was forced to stop daydreaming. She and the guard were standing outside a big door. " Here's the dining room, my lady. I'm not allowed to come in" she nodded. _My lady, once again. For goodness sake do I look like a 'lady'? _She took a deep breath and walked in. The thought of seeing Galbatorix made her feel sick.

**Sooo? What you think? Is it good? It's not? Just click the botton and review plssss! I respect every criticism, good or bad. I'll probably answer to reviews at the beginning of chapters. Oh, and I know that the Galbatorix's daughter thing is overdone, but I couldn't help it. The idea flew into my mind and it wont get out if I don't finish the story. Oh, one more thing. Do you think Johanna should be a Rider?**


	3. A training day with Murtagh

**I do not own Inheritance. Christopher Paolini does.**

**I'd like to thank ChaChaFinesse for hers/his encouraging words. I'd also like to thank EverGreatest for hers/his advices. As I said english is not my mother languange so I have some difficulties. I'm sorry. As for the main characters... My plans are for Johanna to be the main character, and maybe a little Murtagh and Thorn. I can't label Johanna as a main character, because she's not in the books.**

**Let's go!**

Chapter 3: A training day with Murtagh

Johanna entered. She cursed silently, for she was late. Galbatorix raised his gaze and stared at her angrily. " You're late. Did the servants not tell you that you had to be ready in time?" "They did" she said looking at the floor. The girl was a bit scared. She had not forgot what happened when she talked back to Galbatorix yesterday. She was quite brave, but the idea of being torture didn't please her at all.

" Make sure it wont happen again". The king threatened her. She swallowed her pride.

" Yes"

" Yes father, you mean"

She squezeed her fists. " Yes father". She had to do that. She had to play his game so he would trust her. But she hated it. Calling that person _ father _ was a betrayal. A betrayal to her foster family, and to her real mother too. Slowly she sat. The table was big, so she was able to sit far enough both from Galbatorix and Murtagh. It was a stone made table, all black and grey. _What a surprise, _she sneered. There was no tablecloth. Five minutes passed, and nothing happened. Nobody was talking, and she was grateful for that. She killed her time by observing the room. Not that it was much to see. It was a spacious room, but not a comfortable. The only furnitures were the table and the chairs. It was even worse than her room. This one had so much empty space, it made her feel even more lonely. Then, servants walked in, and started to serve the breakfast._ Why do they act like I don't have hands of my own? What is coming next, will they feed me too? _They ate in silence. She wanted to thank the servants, but her throat was dry, and whenever she tried to talk, no sound came out. Galbatorix coughed. "Now, you and Murtagh shall go to the training area. Murtagh, I expect a progress report when you're done" he said after they finished the meal. They both nodded. " Yes sir" Murtagh assured. _Hopefully _he _wont call me 'my lady' too. _Johanna wished. They walked away together and Murtagh led her to the training area. Johanna discovered that it was outside the castle. The girl took new hope. Away from Galbatorix, and that black castle things didn't seem so bad. The area around Uru'baen was not so horrible. At least she could see the sun, and there was some green and other colours. Unfortunately, she didn't have as much time as she wanted to observe. " Here we are" Murtagh said after a while. He pointed at something that Johanna guessed that had to be the training area. It was nothing more than an area of one kilometer covered with mattresses and rugs, so the ones who practiced wouldn't get hurt. _Apparently Galbatorix is not really interested in his soldiers having good training. Again why should he? It's not like there's danger for him to loose the war. _She and Murtagh stood outside of the training arena for a while, both a little awkward. " So?" she asked. " Are you going to teach me anything, or what?"

" Yes. We will start with swordfighting. Come on" " I don't have a sword" He gave her an annoyed look. He pointed at some tents nearby the arena. " That's why we have _these_" She followed him to the tents. He showed her a tent full of swords. " Pick any one you like" She hesitated. She knew nothing about swords. To her eyes, they all seemed beautiful, beautiful and dangerous. She tried thinking logical. For what she knew, the only place she would fight was the arena. So it didn't really matter what kind of sword she would choose. Still, she wanted to make a good choice. Her hands were small enough, so she wouldn't need something with a handle larger than one and a half hand. Her attention caught a simple but elegant sword, neither too long, nor too short. She placed her hands at the handle. It fitted perfectly. Johanna pulled it out of the sheath. The girl was surprise, for it didn't feel heavy at all. _That shouldn't surprise me, I'm half elf, _she reminded hersefl. She looked at the sword once again and she knew she had made the right choice. It was a simple silver sword, but beautiful in its own way. She showed it at Murtagh. " This one" He raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. " What?" she asked curious. Murtagh hesitated.

" This very sword" he explained, " was made by elves. It was stolen from your mother the day that you were concived" She blinked.

" But how is it that its here? A sword made by elves? Isn't it precious?" " Not very much actually... Galbatorix has stolen many swords made by elves. And I have a feeling that he didn't want to see that sword in his eyes again, because with it, your mother gave him an ugly wound" He gave her an odd look. " Your decision remains?" She sighed.

"It does" An awkward silence fall between the once again. She showed him the arena. " Let's go" They walked to the arena and took positions opposite from eachother.

" Do you know anything about swordfighting?" " No idea. Me and my sister- foster sister I guess- used to play with sticks but that's all the expierience I have" " It's something. Now I want you to..." And he began teaching her swordfighting. When they first fought, Johanna could she that, though he wasn't trying at all, he could easily beat her. The girl's only advantage was her speed and agility which she had iherited from the elves. She was a fast learner, and though she was no match to Murtagh, within two hours the way she fought didn't resemple at all the girl who had originally entered the arena, barely able to hold her sword. Murtagh seemed willing to continue to training even more, but the girl was exhausted, so she sat down and refused to continue. " Maybe you're right" he admitted. " You couldn't learn much more in one day anyway" She raised her head.

" Does that mean that I did well?" she asked.

"Very well. You learn faster than the most" He came and sat next to her. " Let me ask you one question. Why did you speak back to Galbatorix yesterday night? Didn't you know what would happen?" She hesitated. She really didn't know how to explain. " I knew that what would happen wouldn't be good. If I knew how bad it'd be, I don't know if I would have done it. I _had _to speak back somehow, I _had _to show him that I was nothing like him" she pointed out. He blinked, surprised.

" You mean you did all that just to piss him of!" he cried. " Do you have any idea how dangerous he is? Do you realise that he could have just killed you before you could speak a single word?" Johanna's only answer was to raise her shoulders. Deep inside, she was glad that Murtagh was worried about her. " So what? You think I'll just sit here and let him do anything he wants to me?"

" Well what do you intend to do?" he asked her back.

" I cannot tell you that, for he might search your mind and learn about my plans. I know you wouldn't tell him willingly but..."

" I know. You're probably right. But what makes you thing that he wont try to search your mind too?

" That...is one of the things I cannot tell"

" Hmmm... we'd probably go back, its almost lunch time" " Ok. Will we go for training again later?"

He softly smiled. " If you want to"

**Ok, that was it! Hope you liked it. Before I writte chapter 4, I'd like to know if you want Johanna to be a Rider or not. Oh you have a message from Johanna and Murtagh.**

**Johanna: Plsss people _review! _**

**Murtagh: Why do you want it so badly?**

**Johanna: Because if they don't, Galbatorix will kill all of us!(sobs)**

**Hey you heard them! You know what to do, just click the button and review!**


	4. Happy Birthday, Dragonrider

**Paolini owns Inheritance. Not me. I don't own.**

**Ok every one tnx for reading ( and reviewing) this story. A special thanks to ChaChaFinesse. You are very kind! I always loved English. So, the voting results are 0 for Joy to be a Rider, and 0 for Joy not to be. As you can see from the title, I decided Joy to be a Rider. I'm quite sure that, the time I update it, I will start having reviews and pm's telling me that they _didn't _want her to be a Rider. It's my bad luck:) Review anyways! This is chapter four, so lets go!**

Happy Birthday, Dragonrider

A few more days passed, and Johanna slowly got used to her new life. Breakfast with Galbatorix and Murtagh, training, lunch, sometimes more training, then dinner and sleep. She had to admit that, when Galbatorix wasn't around it was almost fine. It almost felt normal. Her training was hard, but she enjoyed it. She had always wished to learn swordfighting, plus she liked Murtagh's company. When she had free time, she went to the library. She was surprised of the many books she found there about Alagaësia's history. She even found a copy of _Domia abr Wyrda. _She assumed that even though Galbatorix didn't want people to learn this stuff, he wasn't mad enough to destroy them. She found her self magnetized by the story of that land, a story she would once have called a fairytale. From when she first red the books, she had always wished to go to to Alagaësia. Johanna never really felt her universe like home. From when she was a little girl she used to have strange dreams, dreams without pictures, dreams with feelings only. And they were always saying the same thing: _Come home. _But then, there were her nightmares. It was always a woman running afraid in a forest, and a slimy, disgusting voice haunting her. A voice she now recognized as Galbatorix's. Now that she knew what these nightmares were about, they frightened her even more. Every night she woke up screaming. But she never cried. _I will escape Galbatorix, I will compensate all the evil he's done. And I'll find my mother and my sister and I will apologize for everything, _she promised to her self eveyday. Then she would go for breakfast, and she would have to fight hard with herself not to break in by Galbatorix's presence. Every time she had to call him 'father', every time she had to pretend to be like him. But inside her mind, she stayed strong and she didn't allow anything he told her to make her like him.

Days passed, and one day Johanna woke up realising she hadn't seen any nightmares. Before she had time to think about it, she realised that it was her birthday. She grimaced. _I have a bad feeling about this, _she thought nervously. She got dressed quickly, for she didn't want to be late again. The breakfast time passed normally. When she and Murtagh left the room she realised he wasn't taking her to the training area.

" What's going on?" she asked him a bit scared. He said nothing and kept walking. " Murtagh where are we going?" She was panicked. Her bad feeling grew even stronger. She angrily pulled his hand. " Answer me"

He hesitated. " To the place the last dragon eggs are guarded" He freed his hand and started walking once again. Johanna followed him, instead of asking any other questions. They stopped before a big well guarded door. Murtagh murmured some phrases in the Ancient Languange and the complex mechanism of the door began to open. She nervously walked in. For a while nobody talked. " Do you _want _to be a Rider?" he asked her after a while, curious. _Really, _do _I want to be a Rider? _She had always wished for that. From when she first red Inheriance she had always wanted to be a Dragonrider. When she red about the bond between the dragon and the Rider she always felt jealous. The idea of a creature that would understand her, a creature that would hatch from its egg for her and nobody else, it was wonderful. But now she realised that if an egg hatched for her, then both she and it would be slaves. " Not under Galbatorix's terms" she whispered. He nodded.

" That's exactly what I thought when Thorn hatched for me"

" And?"

" And now I realise it would have been better if he hadn't hatched. But I cannot feel sad because he did. I love him; how could I not? The bond... its more than anything you can ever imagine" He relucantly placed a hand at her shoulder. " If the an egg hatches for you, you will make a fine Rider, no matter what Galbatorix does" She smiled at him and walked closer to the eggs. She touched the green one though she already knew who would be the Rider of that dragon. Then she unwillingly moved to the other. It was a silver egg, and she assumed the dragon was the same colour. She gently stroke the egg. Nothing happened. Relieved but also dissapointed she turned to leave. Then the egg cracked. From within a small silver creature began to emerge. It fought its way out of the egg. When it saw that it wasn't alone, it tried to hide. Johanna driven by a phantom power stroke the little dragon. _Her _dragon. She immediately jerked away, breathless, as an ice cold wave of energy ran threw her body. " It felt like..."

" Like ice-cold water that tingled and snapped" Murtagh added. " Its a part of being a Rider. The pain shall go away in a while." He showed her the Gendwei Ingnasia in his right hand. The scar in her hand was exactly alike, exept that it was brighter.

" Why is it shining?" She questioned giving her hand an odd look.

" That shall stop in a while too. It will only shine when you are using magic. Speaking of which, me and Thorn must start training the two of you in magic. Galbatorix want you to be trained fast, for he wants to sent you against the Elves, to crush their courage" He grimaced.

" Does he already know that one of the eggs hatched for me?" She asked and hugged her dragon, as if she wanted to hide him.

" He must have felt it when you touched the dragon. He has an alarm system for that" He walked out of the room. " Common, lets go" Johanna with the dragon still in her arms followed him. He spoke in the Ancient Languange once again, and the door closed.

" How do I know if its a boy or a girl?" she suddendy asked.

" It's female. One more reason that Galbatorix wished for it to hatch. Now he doesn't need Saphira and Eragon so much"

She blushed when she realised what he was saying. " I would never allow my dragon..."

" Unfortunately it's not up to you to decide" he cutt her of. " Would you like it better if her killed her?"

" No" she had to admit. Quietly they walked together to her room. " We don't have training today?" she asked surprised, and a little sad.

" No. You have a few days off, until she grows a little. I will tell the servants to bring you something to feed her with" He turned to leave. Then, he stopped and before leaving the girl and the dragon alone he whispered:

" Happy birthday, Dragonrider"

**Ok, that was is for now! I hope you all liked it. It felt so unfair that, in the book Saphira ended up with Firnen and Thorn was left alone, so I decided to make another female dragon, just for him. I'll have some serious trouble with the next chapter, I'm really awful at naming, so I might not update very soon. Anyways R&R! You have no idea how much reviews help me to write this story. Bye bye! :) **


	5. Ughh, a Name Please?

**Disclaimer: I don't own. Ok? Christopher Paolini does. I only own Johanna and the plot.**

**A/N: Hey guys, long time not seen, huh? Well I had many things to do and I was a bit lazy. Plus I had no idea how to name the dragon. To all my reviewers, alerters, favouriters, a huge thanks. **

**To Megan: Thanks, thanks, thanks! **

**To**** : Thank you very much, you're very kind. The story starts at the beginning of book 3, and I'm planning to make that clear sometime soon. And I didn't add another dragon to please Thorn, I decided that the dragon has to be female to please Thorn:) The story will contain book three and four too, so I figured that if there were three male dragons and Saphira was the only female, it'd be... uncomfortable.**

Chapter 5:Ughh, a Name please? 

" Again" Murtagh said. Johanna sighed dramatically, just to spite him. She tried to focus she really tried, but having an angry Murtagh analyzing everything you do and a one month old excited dragon yelling in your mind doesn't make the best conditions for focusing. " Stenr risa" she murmured glaring at the gravel in her right hand, which stubbornly refused to move. She slapped her head. " This. Is. _Pointless_" Two weeks after the dragon's hatch they had started their training together. And though Johanna believed the hatchling was doing great, Thorn disagreed. Aparently, she was having troubles with her training too. In swordfighting she was improving fast, but magic... She just couldn't find any place in her mind where there was some sort of a hidden power. She wasn't used to the mental link with her dragon yet, and that was distracting her too. " You're not even trying" Murtagh claimed. And the truth was that, no, she wasn't. If she was still in the world she had grown into she would give almost anything to be able to use magic. But now, things were different. She knew very well that if she learned to use magic she wouldn't be able to use it for good as she wanted to, and that Galbatorix would force her to do _very _evil things. And she didn't want to be evil. She didn't think she was ready to handle something like that. _Great power requires great responsibility, _she thought, _and, truth to be told, this is not one of my strenghts. _" Why are you underestimating yourself?" asked Murtagh, as if he had read her thoughts. Of course, he might have. " You'll never make it if you don't believe that you can"

" Wow, that almost sounded smart" she smirked.

Murtagh rolled his eyes. " That was mean. Even for you. I'm just trying to help"

" I know..." she murmured. He didn't respond, realising he wouldn't take any other apologie. Johanna closed her eyes, once again trying to focus, but this time she was less pathetic. She had decided to find the power within her, and that was all she needed. She searched in her mind, deeper than she had ever searched before, and soon enough she found what she was looking for, though she still didn't know what it was. The power was well secured, but she realised she was the one keeping herself from using it. Relucantly opening herself she let it flow free in her veins. " Stenr risa" she said resolutely, and even before she said it she knew she had done it. The gravel howered and she gasped, surprised by the high amount of energy the spell was costing her. She fought to keep the gravel on her eye level for a couple of minutes, until Murtagh allowed her to end the spell. Through their link she could feel the young dragon's endorse. _Cool, huh? _She told her, though she knew she couldn't talk.

_Yes, _the dragon responded. Johanna's jaw dropped. Her friend rolled her eyes, if dragons can do that. _Took you long enough. _She added. Johanna just couldn't believe it. A one year old creature was scolding her!

_Hey! You're mean. _They couldn't talk any more because the girl felt someone shaking her. She jumped. " What happened?" she asked turning aroung to find the one who did it.

" You were just standing here... motionless. I was worried" Murtagh explained. She gave him an ironic look.

" Shaking me wasn't the best technique ever to bring me back into reality"

" Well, it worked, didn't it? What happened anyway?"

" She happened" Johanna said, pointing to the dragon. " She _talked_. Isn't she too young to talk?" Murtagh seemed surprised too.

" She is... a little. Thorn didn't talk at all until he hit two months, but again every dragon is different" Turning to the dragon he said " Hello dragon. It's very nice to meet you. I'm Murtagh"

_Hello Murtagh Thorn's-Rider. _The _still _unnamed ( though the chapter title is _ a name) _female dragon managed to say with Johanna's help. The two dragons had spoken many times before with their special way, and the dragon ( I swear, I'm coming to the naming part! Lol) knew almost everything Johanna knew about Alagaësia, and everything Johanna had told Murtagh and Thorn about her past life. " Don't you think that now she can talk she should have a name?" Johanna wondered. Murtagh raised his shoulders.

" Go on, name her"

_Ok, ughh, what's your name? _She asked the dragon ( see? I told you the naming part was coming! :D). She puffed.

_I don't _have _a name. You are supposed to give me one! _Johanna was horrible at naming. The only one she had ever named was her cat, and she baptized her _Cathy. _She made many unsuccesful tries, until a name slipped in her mind. At first she thought of it as ridiculous, but no matter how hard she tried, this was the only thing that came up.

_Are you Ellëna? _She asked the dragon.

_Yes, _the dragon- I mean Ellëna!- responded. _By the way, you _do _know you're horrible at naming, don't you? _

_You mean you don't like your name? _Johanna pretended to be offended.

_No, I'm not complaining, mine is a good name. But... a cat named _Cathy_... _Ellëma burst into laughter. _Let me introduce me self better, Murtagh-Thorn's Rider, _she said to Murtagh. _I'm Ellëna, dragon of Johanna. _Dragon and Rider finished the daily training and went the one to the dragonhold, the other to the libraly( classy Joy :P). And Johanna knew, that even in that dark castle there was a creature that understood her and would stand up for her. And this was the only thing she had ever asked from the world.

**Told ya I'm horrible at naming! My friends tell me that my pets names are the most pathetic in the world. Don't ask why Ellëna. It just came up. Also, I'm thinking at making the story a little bit more romantic from now on, and it'd be fun to dedicate a chapter to Murtagh and Joy, so they will bond a little. After all, this is a romance/ friendship story. Please R & R and tell me what you think. Your reviews are for me like gasoline for cars: they give me the energy I need to keep going. **


	6. Drums of war

**Here I am again, sooner than I expected. Why? Writting this story is waaay more interesting than my math homework, that's why! And the story seriously has to go on. I mean I've spend 5 chapters on how they sit around get trained and blah, blah, something _has _to happen. And we _have _to see when exactly all those things I'm writing about happen. So that's it!**

Chapter 6: Drums of war

Johanna and Murtagh were duelling. And, for the first time ever, the girl had some serious posibilities to win a set. One last move and...

" King Galbatorix wishes to see both of you immediately" A flushed soldier announced them. Johanna couldn't help it but roll her eyes.

" Of course he does" It was kind of annoying that they stopped her from defeating Murtagh, but the worst was that she had to see Galbatorix. As they had no other choice, both of them walked their way to the castle.

_What do you think he wants? _She asked Ellëna. _He has not ever asked to see me before._

_He wants to see Murtagh too, _the silver dragon reminded her. _Maybe he just wants to know how our training is going. _

_Maybe, but if so, he could have just told us at breakfast. I have a feeling that it is something... bigger... than that. Are you and Thorn coming? _

_Nahh, I don't think so, it's such a pain to try to fly between all those buildings._

_Oh. Ok. _Johanna tried to hide her disappointment, but her dragon knew her too well.

_What's the matter? _She asked, a little worried herself.

_It's just that bad feeling I 've been having the last few days. It worries me when we are apart. _

_I'll be ok, _Ellëna assured her Rider softly. _Besides, we are not alone. Thorn will watch over me and Murtagh will watch over you._ If Ellëna was trying to distract the girl from her thoughts, she did a great job.

_You know, I can't believe that you have a crush on a dragon one year older than you, and that you have only known one and a half month! _Johanna giggled.

_One and a half month is all my life. And one year is not such a big difference for dragons. Besides, I don't have a crush on him! He just happens to be the only male dragon I know! _The young dragon defended herself.

_There's always Shruikan if you get bored of Thorn. _The Rider joked.

_Joy! That's not funny at all. Besides, you, from all people are not one to talk! You, who find your duels as an excuse to touch Murtagh!_ Ellëna said, almost offended.

_I never did that! _Now it was Johanna's turn to get angry. _I never got the chance to, _she added after a while. That wasn't really an argument, it was a classical Johanna- Ellëna conversation. With that and the other, Johanna didn't even realise how they got to the castle, or walked until the room Galbatorix was meeting them- Johanna guessed the room was destined only for those kind of meetings and was magically protected. When they got to the door however, Johanna's good mood vanished and her bad premonition returned. How ironic it was, that, the only person she was afraid of was her father. Not that Johanna would ever think of him like that. She already had a father, and the only reason she had agreed to come with Galbatorix was to protect him and the rest of her family, because to her, they would always be family, no matter if they were relatives or not. They had taken care of her, loved her. And no matter what Galbatorix did, he could never change that. Johanna resolutely raised her gaze and walked into the room.

He was waiting for them. " You came" was his only comment when he saw them, and he didn't even bother to look at them. _Nah, I'm still outside, what you see is my ghost, _the girl wanted to say but she kept herself. She knew it would be useless to try and speak back to him, and besides, she needed his trust. He was scrutinizing a map of Alagaësia and wouldn't raise his gaze or say anything else.

" You wished to see us if I'm not mistaken" she dared remark after a while. Only then he looked at them, and he laughed. _Wow, how hilarious I am. _Johanna mentally told Ellëma.

_You should be grateful to the fact he is in a good mood, _the dragon reminded her.

_Easy for you to say! You don't have him burst into that cruel laughter after every single sentence you speak. _

" How is your dragon growing?" He asked her then.

_See, I told you he just wanted to have a progress report! _Ellëna told her friend triumphantly. Johanna wasn't convinced though.

_I don't believe that is what he wants. He's just playing with us, I think. _

_Pessimistic as always I see. Are you going to answer him sometime soon, or you'll just stand there with your mouth open? _

_Ooops. _

" She is growing fine I think. I haven't seen many dragons growing up" The ironic comment slipped from her tongue before she could stop it. Galbatorix didn't seem insulted, and then turned his attention to his map again.

" Then perhaps it's time to test both of your abilities. As Murtagh should have told you, the Varden are still camped nearby the Burning Plains. I've planned to sent him with 5 thousand soldiers to attack them. You should go too, and make sure that the two of you capture Eragon" That was it. The time she could just stay in Uru'baen and close the world and who she was outside was over. He would sent her to kill, burn and destroy. Her mind was working feverishly to find a way and avoid that.

" 5 thousand soldiers?" Murtagh's voice broke the silence. " The Varden defeated your whole army at the Burning Plains and now you suggest we go and attack them with only 5 thousand soldiers?" She stared at him surprised. He'd never usually talk back to Galbatorix, even if he had every right. And in that case, she couldn't understand what his problem was. It was not as if he cared very much who would win the war, and there were no possibilities for him to get killed. So what was his problem? She stepped back scared, thinking of how Galbatorix might react to that. Frankly, he didn't do anything at all.

" Oh, but these soldiers are not like any others" He yelled something Johanna couldn't understand, and two guards walked in bringing a soldier. He didn't seem any scared. He didn't have any emotion in his eyes when the guards threw him on the floor. He didn't scream when Galbatorix stabbed him with a dagger. Then the girl undestood. _The soldiers that don't feel pain, _she remembered. _So we are at the beginning of Brisingr. I wonder if my presence is going to change anything. It's such a bad luck that I haven't read the 4__th__ book. _

" Excuse me, but I don't think that me and Ellëna are ready to go to battle. She's still so tiny compared to Thorn... and I still have so much to learn about magic. We would be more of a burden than help" She said all those in a low calm voice, but her heart was beating faster than ever. She kept her eyes to the ground so Galbatorix couldn't see her agony.

" Sir, I think she is right. They are not ready yet, they need much more training if they want to stand a chance against Eragon and Saphira. If you want my advice, let them come with us, but don't involve them in the war yet. If it proves to be to early for them, then the Varden would have a big advantage, because the would be prepared. They can come with us and stay hidden, and when we fight against Eragon and Saphira they could give us some energy and help us without getting directly involved" The girl blinked, clearly surprised. Her try to chance Galbatorix's decision was almost pointless, and Murtagh knew it as well as she did. Still, he was helping her, risking Galbatorix getting angry at him. She 'd probably never admit, but she felt grateful. And, the king seemed to believe them. They both knew that he could just tell them 'do that' but instead he was standing there and discussing it with them. Did he really trust her already? Or he just didn't care what they would do?

" Well, since you are the one who's training Johanna, I suppose you know what her abilities are. We'll do it your way. However, I will _not _have you failing in capturing Eragon again. If you do that the consequenses will be rather... _unpleasant_" They both nodded. Johanna was glad that she didn't have to take part in the war, but the thought of being tortured when they failed to capture Eragon- because she already knew what the outcome of the battle would be- didn't fascinate her at all.

**Ok, so that was it. Now we now where we are, and I can finaly go to the action- and the romantic part of the story ( not too many lemons though) is coming too! Please R&R and tell me what you think of the story. That was probably the larger chapter I've written, but compared to other stories, its stil small. Does that annoy you? You want longer chapters? Please tell anything you want to see in the story- I need some inspiration.**


	7. I killed a man

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inheritance, or any of the characters. Paolini does, god bless him. I only own Johanna, Ellëna, Balja, and the plot. ( And any other OC I might come up with) **

**A/N: Hi everyone! I'm back from my easter holidays! I know I haven't written anything in an awfully long time. But, finaly, I got the inspiration I needed. As I said that I would, I used HanVanHelsing's idea. ( One of them anyways) I changed it a little but, oh well, if I hadn't then I couldn't call that fanfiction mine could I? So, read, review, alert, favourise( I know that's not a verb), and above all ENJOY this chappie!**

Chapter 7: I killed a man

" What you mean they're not coming with us?" Johanna yelled clearly panicked.

" I mean that they're not coming with us. We will go with the soldiers to make sure they don't do anything stupid, and once we're close enough we tell Galbatorix and he sends Thorn and Ellëna to find us" he said that completely calm, as if it was something normal, but Johanna could see he didn't like the idea either. Being apart your dragon was the worst thing that could happen to a dragonrider. And that was probably the reason Galbatorix was making them do it. She took a deep breath trying to control her emotions.

" How long?" she made a probably pathetic try to sound incurious.

" Two weeks or so. Would be much more with normal soldiers" Two weeks. Two weeks without Ellëna. How could she survive? She already felt the dragon as a part of herself. And the worst of all was that she would be alone with Galbatorix. Of course Thorn would be there too but... at once she felt selfish. She was not the only one who was going through that. Murtagh would have to deal with being away of his dragon too! And how was she helping him? Going around and whining like a child. She nodded silently not trusting her self to talk. He sat beside her.

" I don't like it either. And I don't get why he can't just let them follow us from the sky but..."

" He won't let them because he is an evil, heartless, cruel bastard, and that's never going to change" She stood up resolutely. " When do we leave?"

A few hours later Johanna was riding a horse beside Murtagh, holding with her left hand her few belongings. She was not even seeing the area around her, lost in her thoughts, trying to ignore the big gap inside her. It was still hard for her to come to terms with her loneliness. Ellëna had been pretty much her life the last two months. She had been the only light in that dark castle, her only escape, her only privacy. She felt somehow _naked _and exposed to the world.

_At least we have Murtagh and Thorn, right Ell? _She shook her head, realising there would be no answer. She looked at Murtagh. He didn't seem in a good mood either, but if he was feeling as horrible as she was, he was hiding it well. And he's been a Rider more time than I am. For him it must be even worse. She felt kind of guilty and wanted to talk to him, but had no idea what to say. She usually was good at comforting people, so much that nobody ever thought she had problems of her own,but at that very moment she couldn't. She usually knew what to say to make others feel better. But now she had a feeling that no matter what she said it wouldn't be a great help. Still, Johanna had to try.

" You miss him don't you?" She said, hardly louder than a whisper. Murtagh seemed to hesitate. Avoiding to look at her he answered.

" Of course I do- how could I not? But I've got used to it"

" You mean it's not the first time Galbatorix makes you do that?" _And he said that with normal soldiers it would take much longer. _Only the thought made the girl feel like throwing out.

" He does it pretty much all the time. For him it is a way of entertaintment to see us suffer, and see how well we handle things without each other" Johanna was sure that if Galbatorix was there at the moment she would kill him. At least try to.

" Why didn't he do that to me and Ellëna earlier?" _Not that I have a problem with it. _

" She was still very small and he was afraid she wouldn't survive. As I told you when she hatched, he needs her"

" There's no danger for her now right? If something happened to her would I know?" she asked in a worried voice and almost fell from her horse.

" She will be just fine. There's no need to worry, ok? And inspite of the distance, if something really bad happened to her you would know it. So try to relax" He comforted her.

" If something really bad happened to her it would be too late" she said nervously but took Murtagh's advice and tried to relax. Unfortunately fate had other plans.

They suddenly heard a noise from the back lines of the soldiers and led their horses there. They saw that two of the soldiers were standing opposite each other exchanging curses and being ready to kill each other. Worried Johanna got off the horse and pushed them aside.

" Hey, hey no fightings. Take it easy" she felt a little ridiculous but she didn't care. One of the soldiers wasn't really happy with her intervention.

" YOU BITCH!" he yelled and attacked her with his sword. She unwittingly pulled her own sword and tried to defend herself. She was better at sworfighting than he was, but he was willing to fight and she wasn't.

" I didn't mean to insult you, please stop that madness" she almost begged him. This was her first real fight, and she was very scared. He wouldn't listen. He kept attacking her and wouldn't stop no matter what she said. She understood she had to do something. Murtagh couldn't help her, for he was trying to calm down the rest of the soldiers, who were ready to attack. Distracted by her thoughts she stumbled over a rock and fell down. The soldier took the opportunity to try and kill her. Instinctively she stabbed his heart with the sword. She refused to look at him, realising what she had just done. Silence prevailed. She hated it. She wanted to scream as loud as she could to break that silence. She had just killed a man. A man that probably had family, and children. A man that probably ment no harm to her but was just too much drunk. The world didn't seem right. She was a murderer. Galbatorix had won. It was over. She didn't notice that the soldiers left and started preparing a camp. She didn't do anything when another soldier took away the man's body. One single tear shone in her eye. She allowed Murtagh to help her up and lead her to a tent. She sat down- where exactly she didn't notice. He sat beside her, probably feeling a little awkward.

" Are you ok?" he asked. What a question. How could she be ok? She could never be ok again. Never.

" No" she simply said. "I..." her voice cracked. " I killed a man. I _murdered _him Murtagh, that's what I did" Hearing her self saying those words doubled the pain.

" He would have killed you otherwise" he defended her.

" Perhaps it would have been better"

" Don't ever say that again!" he cried. " Listen to me- _listen to me!_" he forced her to turn and look at him. " We 're in the middle of a war. Of course people will get killed. And I don't say it's fair. But you must try to protect yourself- I need you to promise me that you will fight"His voice was low and serious. Johanna saw some logic in what he was saying but she couldn't forgive herself for killing that man yet. And she obviously couldn't do that again.

" I cannot. What right do I have to take away their lives in order to save mine? Why do I deserve to live and they don't?" She questioned, her voice hardly louder than a whisper.

" I never said that you deserve to live more than they do. But everyone tries to save his own life- some make it some others don't. That's how life is, Johanna. I don't like it any more than you do. I didn't make the rules, but I know how to play the game" She still wouldn't answer. Seeing she wasn't fully convinced he added: " Look, if you're too selfless to do it for you, then do it for Ellëna. You're the only one she has in the world. Do you want her to lose you?" Silence , and then " Do it for me" She finally looked up and him and trying to smile she said

" I promise"

**Ok, probably largest chappie I've written. Don't you think I deserve a present? What about many many reviews? Please? Reviews are like the sun after a rainy day, like the first ice cream after the winter. ( Ok maybe I overdid it a little. And that reminds me: I WANT ICE CREAM!) So I think you got the point. R& R please? And I know it might seem a bit cruel, but you know what? You have to get your hands dirty if you want to save the world. I don't want to make Johanna flawless. She's a human being( part) and she has to make mistakes and learn from them. **

_**-The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent! **_**( Just randomly came out. How many of you know where did I "borrow" (evil laugh) this from?)**


	8. Secrets Disclosed

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inheritance, or any of the characters. Paolini does, god bless him. I only own Johanna, Ellëna, Balja, and the plot. ( And any other OC I might come up with) **

**A/N: Hi! Don't know what to say, ughh, lets go to my beloved reviewers:**

**Anon: Sure I will! **

**Minerva: Yeap, not my first languange. Thank you anyways. I'm trying to learn.**

**ChaChaFinesse: Once again, thank you for your comment! It means a lot to me that you keep reading the story. You are my first reviewer ever, and you're still here! Thank you:)**

**Talks: Right away! **

**Shall we go to the story now?**

Chapter 8: Secrets Disclosed

Johanna covered herself with her blankets, abstractly looking at the campfire. She was lying on the ground, tossing and turning around, unable to sleep. The day's events, and being away from Ellëna was costing her too much. And being the only female around 5000 men wasn't helping either. At least everyone was asleep now. Or so she thought. Turning once again, she found herself looking into Murtagh's eyes.

" I thought you were asleep" he remarked.

" Yeah, I thought the same" she half joked.

" What's bothering you?"

" It's nothing, really" She avoided his gaze.

" You really think I don't understand when you lie?"

" Well it's just kind of everything. So many things happened the last two months... and I just started to realise them" She hesitated then asked "What about you?"

" _What?_" he asked surprised. She smiled.

" I said: What about _you?_ What's troubling you?"

" It's nothing, really" he said, quoting her own words.

" You really think I don't understand when you lie?" she answered, doing the same.

" Very well then... I am trying to understand you" She blinked.

" Beg you pardon?"

" I'm trying to understand you. I haven't seen anyone like you before"

" Uh, thanks?" They both laughed. She closed her eyes, still smiling. " Goodnight Murtagh"

" Goodnight _Joy_"

And for the first time in those two months Johanna fell into to a dreamless sleep.

Just moments after her eyes close, or so she thought, she felt someone nudge her. She reluctantly opened one eye, and when she saw no light, closed it again. " It's still night" she murmured. " Let me sleep"

" Gladly I would, but, don't you want us to get there the fastest we can so you can see Ellëna again?" at the sound of his voice she jumped up, lost her balance and fell down again.

" Morning" she grimaced, getting up slower this time.

" Come on, hurry up" she hurried to her horse, wondering what time it was. _Maybe I can sleep on it. Sleep is so much better when you don't see nightmares._She frowned. _Why didn't I see nightmares? _She shook her head. Without Ellëna there were gaps in her thoughts. _What would she say? _The girl wondered. Then she sighed._ I know what she'd say: That I'm a fool for spending my time on being worried even when good things happen. She's probably right. _That was so confusing. She was jealous of Ellëna some times. She was barely two months old and it was like she had an answer for everything. A sharp jolt brought her back to reality. She found they were now riding on rough terrain, and that Murtagh had taken her horse's snaffles. With an awkward smile she took them back and brushed her hair with her fingers. _You're acting like those stupid scatterbrained teenage friends of yours, _she rebuked her self. Guiltily, she realised that this was the first time she was thinking of her friends. _The most you know about a situation, the easiest it is to avoid it, _she remembered Mary saying. _Ok, then, time to gather information. Wow I'm thrilled._

" Well what exactly is the point of this 'campaign'? It's not like Galbatorix couldn't crush every rebellion if he wanted to. He just needs to fly on Shruikan and it's over" Very diplomatic it wasn't, but it was the best she could do.

" Galbatorix might be arrogant but he's not a fool. He has no reason to put his or Shruikan's life in any danger as long as he has us to fight for him. And besides, the more the Varden fight him, the more people will start considering them as the bad guys"

" _Danger? _I thought he was absolutely sure of his victory and his ultimate power"

" His power is not ultimate yet. There's one more thing... one thing he needs to find" Murtagh's words seemed to come out uneasy.

" What would that be that he needs? He has two dragonriders, a dragon of his own and a few hundred Eldunari. He had a hundred years to put every kind of ward around him. What on Alagaesia could harm him?" she asked, her voice hasty, excited iby the idea that she might have found a loophole.

" It's... I can't say it. He made me swear in the Ancient Language... I can't think of any way around it" He said, almost apologetically. She frowned, staying quit for a while and then-

" What if I could guess it? Could you tell me if I had guessed right?"

" I believe that yes. But I can't help you in guessing. I'm not allowed to say anything about it" She breathed out relieved. Apparently even Galbatorix couldn't think of everything. She closed her eyes trying to focus. What could it be that would be more important than all the oaths Murtagh and Thorn gave to Galbatorix, what could fool those hundreds of wards, or resist the power of hundreds of dragons? It was about magic, that was for sure. Maybe some secret words of power, or forgotten spells? But Galbatorix already knew all these. She forced her mind to think harder, analyzing every word Galbatorix and Murtagh had told her, every word she remembered from the books. When she had almost given up, then it suddendy hit her. Brisingr- the Ra'zzac- _He almost found the naaame. The Truue Naame._

All the pieces came together, and then she knew.

" He's trying to find the Name of the Ancient Language isn't he?" her voice was low, the voice of a convicted. Because if Galbatorix found the Name, then everything was over. Magic wouldn't exist, unless he allowed it. He would be to able easily guess Eragon's true name and force him to serve him too. Every oath the Varden members had given not to ever tell him anything wouldn't bind them. She almost wished her guessing was wrong. But she could never be that lucky.

" Yes, he is. And his very close to finding it, too" He sounded calm, but Johanna knew better.

" Great" she gibbed. "That's just great"

They continued their travel for days, and each one seamed like a century. And just when Johanna thought that she couldn't stand it another minute, and _nothing _could cheer her up, then the good news came. They were close to their destination, so it was time to call the dragons.

" Do you want to be the one who talks with Galbatorix?" Murtagh asked, not really hoping.

" Oh, yeah I'm _dying _to, I've missed him _so _much" she joked. The mere thought of seeing Ellëna again was enough to make her confident again. After leaving the sharp comment, however, she decided to actually do it. It wasn't really that bad. Nothing could destroy her happiness, not even her father, and the talk was really short.

The three next days passed too slowly, in Johanna's opinion, and when the day had finally come, she was sure that every minute was passing more slowly than a whole day usually did. But at last the moment she was waiting for arrived. She felt a familiar touch in her conscience and soon enough she and the dragon were one again. The girl searched in the horizon, trying to distinguish them.

_Where are you? _She asked Ellëna worried for a moment.

_You really can't see us? We're very close! _The dragon said playfully.

_Sure enough I wouldn't miss two huge flying lizards! Where are you?_

_Here! _Ellëna yelled in her mind emerging just behind her. It took Johanna several minutes to calm.

_You scared me. _She gave a better look at her dragon. _Wow, you _are_ huge. _

_Dragons usually are that._ The girl rolled her eyes.

_And how did you spend those wonderful days? _

_Training, training, and training again. Thorn's a little freaked out about the battle. He says that Saphira is better than him. _She distinguished an annoyed tone in her partner's tone.

_You're jealous! _

_I'm not._

_Yes, you are._

_No! _

_Whatever you say Ell. Where's you're beloved one right now? _

_Right above you. _Johanna raised her gaze to see Murtagh and Thorn flying above them. As soon as they realised she was watching them, they landed.

" Something wrong?" Johanna said almost forgetting to speak out loud. Murtagh and Thorn gave each other a conspiring look and smiled. " Well?" she asked again.

_Murtagh and I were just wondering if you and Ell had ever flown together. _Johanna was surprised that Thorn was the one to talk to her, and the way he adopted her nickname she had given Ellëna made her smile.

" We have not"

" Well how about you join us and have your first flight?"

_Ell? _The girl asked, suddendy very nervous.

_Are you kidding, let's do that! _

_I'm a little afraid of heights..._

_Oh, please. _Johanna sighed dramatically and climbed on her dragon.

" Up we go!" she muttered. She closed her eyes and held Ellëna tighty as they took off and sailed in the wind.

**Ok, done. Liked? Loved? Hated? Please review and tell me! Please? It's so easy! You can do it, I know you can! I already have some plans for the next chapter. I'll try to update soon but, hey, no promises. To be honest I'm a little lazy. But I'll try! So, R&R, and how a super wonderful beautiful enjoyable lovely happy day!**


	9. A difficult choice

**Disclaimer: ( NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY) I own everything. Paolini sold me the Inheritance Cycle. **

**Disclaimer: ( The real one this time) Ok, he didn't. But wouldn't it be great I he did? Anyway, for good or bad, Inheritance is his. Not mine. **

**A/N: I'm back! Not only because I want to please the ones who read the story, but also because my life is boring and I had nothing better to do. Don't mind me. I'm sorta out of my mind today. **

**A special thanks to Heidioo, Anon, and ChaChaFinesse. You guys are amazing, thank you so much! Your reviews are helping me so much to go on with the story.**

Chapter 9: A difficult choice

The girl reluctantly opened her eyes. She gasped.

" This is amazing! Flying is so incredible!" she cried out, forced to yell to be heard.

_I thought you were afraid of heights..._Ellëna teased her.

_Hump... if that wasn't so amazing I'de be offended, but... _suddenly everything turned upside down, forcing Johanna to stop talking. She realised Ellëna must have done a flip.

_Don't... you ever...do that again..._she managed to say trying to breath. She heard Murtagh and Thorn laughing, and she immediately blushed. They continuoued the flight for half an hour or so, and then landed.

" Sleep now" Murtagh adviced them. " Tomorrow is the battle, and though you won't be immediately involved I would feel better if I knew you were prepared, just in any case"

" Yes mom..." Johanna muttered and lay down.

_Joy! Don't be rude! He's just trying to help us. _

_Yes mom..._Johanna repeated herself.

_Johanna you will tell him right now, or I will. And maybe I'll also tell him how much you like him and..._

_Like he doesn't know already..._Johanna cut her off, but deep inside she wished the dragon wouldn't really do it.

_Fine then, if it's what you want, I'm going to tell him._

The girl sighed defeated. _Fine. I'll apologise. Happy now, mom? _Ellëna growled.

" Murtagh?" she asked reluctantly.

" Yes?"

" Sorry for being rude. I'm just a little nervous about the battle, that's all" A bitter smile crossed his face.

" It's alright. You'll get used to it" She frowned. He wasn't mad at her, but he wasn't well either.

" You know, you don't need to do that with me" She said quickly, before her courage failed her. It was his turn to frown.

" Do what?"

" Pretend that you don't care. He's is your brother Murtagh, whether you like it or not, it's logical not to want to fight him" Slowly she walked over to him and held his hand. " I've had a sister too. I understand"

" What makes you think that I-?"

" You can't lie to me remember?" she cut him off.

" Right. Then I won't contradict. But Johanna, please remember, Eragon- my brother- must never know this" She looked at him puzzled.

" But why? Why shouldn't he know that you're not evil- that you were forced to do all this?"

" You think I don't want to? But no matter if I like it, Galbatorix made me swear to do anything possible to capture him- if he knew the truth I bet he would be stupid enough not to fight me. He must think I'm evil, so he won't hold back at all, because only then he will have some chance against me"

" How is it that you're so much stronger than him? I don't get it" she tried to sound puzzled. She already knew the answer, but was curious to see if he would answer honestly.

" I can't tell you...sorry...another oath..." She sighed.

_Joy sleep now. The army won't wait for you to rest tommorow._ Ellëna scolded her.

_I know. You should sleep too._

_Dragons need less sleep than you pathetic two-legged creatures do._

_Whatever you say Ell. Good night._ Without bothering to go back to her usual place next to the fire, she turned around and fell asleep.

_Johanna was in a dark room, only lightened by a candel. She frowned and saw the figure of a man, but she couldn't say if she knew him or not for all of his characteristics were in the dark. " Garjzla!" the man growled. The room was suddenly lightened and the girl recognized Galbatorix. She easily understood he was furious. The room was small, the only pieces of furniture were a desk and a chair. On the desk there were many scrolls, some of them open some other closed. Galbatorix screamed and with a move of his hand broke the desk. " Shall they fail me, that will be their fate too" he threatened the empty room._

Johanna woke up breathing heavily. _It was just a nightmare..._she kept telling herself. But it felt so real.

_It could be a premonition..._Ellëna said. The girl wasn't pleased with the thought at all.

_Could it be? But who could be talking about? _Johanna wondered.

_Maybe us... but I don't think he'd kill us if we failed. Maybe you should ask Murtagh..._

_Maybe, but not today. _

With these words she got up and prepared herself. A soldier aproached her, and she couldn't help but notice his reticence to come near her.

" Yes?" she asked coldly.

" My... my lady... Lord Murtagh told me to give you an armor and..."

" But I'm not going to fight"

" He...he said that you should be protected... in case something goes wrong" She sighed. " With all my respect lady, he said it not me"

" Fine..." she muttered. " Go on" They headed to the draft arsenal that was in a tent in the other side of the camp. It took them a while to find a fitting armor for Johanna, but after a while she was ready. " Where can I find Murtagh?" she asked the soldier.

" Lord Murtagh is in his tent preparing for the battle... is there something you need?"

" No. Thank you" she said and walked away. It took her awhile to find Murtagh's tent. She hesitated. " Murtagh? Are you in there?" she asked.

" Yes, just a second" He walked out also in his armor. His bad mood seemed to dissapear and he smiled.

" Something funny about me?" she asked, not really offended.

" No. The armor looks nice on you"

_Hey lovebirds, we have a battle to fight if you remember. _Johanna smiled slightly.

" Ellëna says that we should get ready to the battle" she said tensely.

" Everything is ready. You and Ellëna should go to that forest. Before the battle starts I will connect your mind and Thorn Ellëna's, and so you'll give us energy" She nodded, suddenly nervous.

" Good luck" she didn't know what else to say. She hesitated for a second before climbing on Ellëna.

_Are you coming or not?_ The dragon asked.

_Yes. _They flew to the forest and waited. Both of them were scared. Not for themselves, but for Murtagh and Thorn. They already knew what would happen, but they couldn't help it but be a bit scared.

_They'll be just fine..._Johanna said, more to her self than to Ellëna.

_I know. _The dragon roared. Soon enough, the girl felt a presence in her mind. Carefully she lowered the guards that he had thought her to place around her mind.

_The army is about to attack the Varden. Are you ready? _He asked. It took her a while to get used to the feeling of somebody else's presence in her mind.

_Ready._ She said. Through their connection she could feel Thorn taking off and Murtagh taking Zar'roc out of its sheath and holding it above his head. Like from within a dream she could hear trumpets announcing the soldiers arrival.

" _Eragon!" _Murtagh yelled. " I can see you there, hiding behind Nasuada's skirts. Come to fight me Eragon! That's your destiny. Or are you a coward _Shadeslayer_?" The girl shook her head. _Apparently he is persuasive, _she thought heard Saphira's roar. As Eragon and Saphira flew to them Murtagh talked again: " You and Saphira caused us great pain, Eragon. Galbatorix was really angry with us for allowing you to escape. And when you killed the Raz'ac, he was so furious that he killed five servants and then turned against Thorn and me. The tortures that we both endured for you were terrible. We shall not do it again" Thorn and Murtagh got ready to attack, but they suddenly stopped. Johanna assumed Eragon told them something she could not hear. No matter what it was, she felt the great agony it caused to the red duo. Murtagh lowered Zar'roc a little, then yelled: " I don't believe you! It's not possible!" She already knew what Eragon told him, but she had to pretend otherwise.

_What happened?_ She dared mentally ask Murtagh.

_He says... he says there is a way we can break free of the oaths we gave to Galbatorix. _He sounded reluctant.

_Well, why don't you listen what he has to say? It might seem useful. _

_And if it's not? _

_Then it's worth the risk! Don't you want to have a chance to break free of Galbatorix? _He refused to answer.

_The girl speaks with sense. If it doesn't work, at least we'll know that we tried. Please Murtagh, _Thorn intervened. He still didn't answer but they both knew he was convinced.

" Damn you Eragon" he said finally. " Damn you for the bait you're throwing to us. We had already come in terms with our fate, and now here you come to torture us with the prospect of a hope we had left. If that hope proves to be fake, _brother_ I swear I'll cut your right arm before taking you to Galbatorix... After all, you won't need it for what you'll do in Uru'baen" Johanna frowned and wished that was only part of his plan to convince Eragon his was evil. A few minutes passed as Eragon explained everything to Murtagh. Johanna couldn't hear anything, but she pretty much knew what he was saying. She felt Murtagh and Thorn's shock, and deep inside, she saw a little piece of hope. Tha made her smile. _Maybe there is hope for us yet..._she thought. " Why didn't you tell that to me earlier?" Murtagh asked. She also felt Thorn's sadness, and his wish for this war to come to an end.

_What Eragon told us... it is possible. But not right now. We need to be careful. For the time being, we stick to the plan._

_Do as you will. _She simply said.

_And do it fast. _Ellëna added. " Stubborn" the girl muttered. Murtagh pushed aside all of his hope, and his true feelings, and spoke again. " I'm not evil! I've done the best I could under the specific conditions. I doubt if you would have survived, like I did, if mother had decided to leave _you _in Uru'baen and hide _me _in Carvahall" She found that a little self-pitying, but she couldn't blame him for it. Eragon spoke again. " Ha! Then how am I supposed to follow your advice? If I'm alrady good, if I've done the best I could, how am I supposed to change? Should I first become worse than I already am? Hug Galbatorix's darkness to break free of it? It doesn't seem logical. If I could change my idenity like that, you wouldn't like what I'd become, and you would curse me, like you today curse Galbatorix" She half smiled. Smart, but not smart enough. " So you're asking me to be something I'm not. If Thorn and I want to save ourselfs, we must first destroy our idenity. The therapy that you propose is worse than everything that has already happened to us"

_Damn him!_ Murtagh said angrily. _He just won't give up. This stubborn little-_

_You're just as stubborn as he is. And relax. You know he's trying to help._ This time, it was Ellëna the one who remarked. Her rider stared at her confused, but then smiled. Johanna refused to listen the rest of the conversation. She just left the words to slip, not willing to understand their meaning. It took a while. With that she agreed with Murtagh: Eragon was stubborn. " It is better then, to tire my hearts" she heard Murtagh saying, and then she knew the battle was about to begin. She felt the duo's sorrow as they fought with Eragon and Saphira. It felt like she was awake, yet seeing a nightmare. Every time Eragon or Saphira got close to Murtagh or wounded him in any way she cried in agony. The fight continuoued for long. When she thought she had finally gotten used to it, she felt another presense pressing against her mind.

_Focus on my thoughts_, she heard Murtagh saying. Frowning, she did as he told her. He and Eragon fought for a long time. She felt herself becoming weaker every second that passed, but she kept giving Murtagh all the energy she could.

_Stop giving me energy! _She suddenly heard Murtagh's voice.

_What? Why?_

_I just realised, that even though me and Thorn are forced to fight him until the end, you and Ellëna aren't! If you stop giving me energy, maybe he'll make it._

_But isn't that dangerous? _

_Not really. Galbatorix said to do anything possible to capture him as long as it wasn't my death or his capture. So I practically can't die right now. _What he said was logical, but she was still afraid for him. She knew she had to do it, however. She pulled herself out of Murtagh's mind and Ellëna did the same. The battle kept going for a while, and then she saw Murtagh and Thorn flying towards them. With a sigh of relief Johanna closed her eyes. They were fine. As they landed, she found her self running and hugging him. As soon as she realised what she was doing, she pulled away.

" I...I'm sorry I didn't..." His gaze stopped her. Her heart beat louder as he leaned closer to her. And then, slowly and softly, he kissed her. Her entire body shuddered in surprise. She closed her eyes. The girl had never been kissed before and though she had wished for it many times she had never deared imagine her wish might become true. This felt right, she finally was where she belonged.

**Ha! You didn't see that coming did ya? Well possibly you did, for it was kind of built. Well, anyway, I hope you liked it. I had a big trouble describing the battle, and I could swear half of Murtagh's words are wrong. If somebody has Brisingr at hand, I would apreciate it if he gave me the quotes. And please review and tell me if you liked it! How will I know that you read it if you don't? **


	10. AN

Ok people, long time no see huh? I know and I'm awfully sorry that I haven't updated anything in the last month but I had exams and my computer had a problem and then my dad figured that I was spending too much time on the pc and wouldn't let me in at all. And now I will be leaving for holidays and he won't let me take my computer with me! Isn't that unfair? Anyway I just wanted to say that I won't be able to update for the rest of the summer, and see you guys again around September!


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